1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to improvements in breast pumps, and more particularly pertains to new and improved electric breast pumps wherein the breast pump both expresses and collects breast milk.
2. Description of Related Art
In the field of breast pumps for expressing breast milk it has been the practice to employ hard breast cups and maximum suction to the human teat to express the breast milk. Such devices have not been entirely satisfactory in that if the suction generated by the breast pump is too high, bruising will be caused to the areola and nipple. In addition, the amount of milk volume obtained in response to a constant average suction is quite low compared to that obtained by a suckling infant. A breast feeding infant, in addition to applying suction, compresses the teat against his hard palate and uses the peristaltic action of the tongue. A research study entitled Comparing Breastfeeding and Breast Pumps Using a Computer Model, published in the Journal of Human Lactation, 1997, Vol. 13, pp. 195 to 202, by Christopher Xoppou, Ph.D., et al., concluded that a large increase in milk flow can be obtained when both cyclic suction and peristaltic force is used on the human teat. The present invention simulates an infant suckling by utilizing both peristaltic forces and cyclic suction.